"It's never good. But it makes it that much worse being that it's a holiday."

PATERSON — A fire destroyed three buildings in Paterson this morning, leaving half a dozen families homeless on Easter Sunday.

Two people were treated for minor injuries, including a firefighter who cut his hand and a resident who had inhaled smoke, said Chief Michael Postorino of the Paterson Fire Department.

About 75 firefighters responded to the Totowa Avenue blaze, which still had not been brought completely under control by 6:45 p.m., Postorino said.

He said eight adults and six children had lost their homes, and the Red Cross was helping them find shelter.

The buildings were burnt nearly to the ground, and several storefront businesses at their base were also destroyed, Postorino said.

"It’s never good, but it makes it that much worse being that it’s a holiday," he said.

Postorino said a deputy chief happened to spot the blaze at 9:37 a.m., while driving past the three buildings at 372-376 Totowa Avenue.

He said the blaze quickly spread among the wooden structures, which were separated by narrow driveways, and led to the collapse of the roofs of all three. The three-story buildings contained what appeared to be a total of six apartments, which were located above ground-floor businesses, Postorino said.

Firefighters had initially gone inside the building, but were evacuated once it was certain no one else was inside, Postorino said.

The fire appeared to have started at the rear of 372 or 374 Totowa, though the precise location and the cause of the blaze had not been determined as of this evening, Postorino said.

Most of the paid, full-time Paterson firefighters who responded were on duty when the blaze broke out, said Postorino, who ordinarily would have had Easter Sunday off.

"I did go to church last night, so I must have had a premonition," he said.